Food I want to eat in Singapore!

Its just about 10 days to go till Cart and I board the plane to go to Singapore! I’m so looking forward to meeting my friends and family and of course eating good food!

In fact, I’ve been writing a list of the things that I want to eat! Ooh! All the hawker centers in Singapore, here I come! And so, I’ll share a couple of the food I cant wait to devour!

1. Ayam Penyet

Anyone who knows me in real life would probably know already that I’m totally an Ayam Penyet monster (kind of like cookie monster but with Ayam Penyet) I love eating the flavourful deep fried chicken which is then lovingly smashed, served with a potent sambal belacan, rice, and a myriad of vegetables which is supposed to cool and tone down the fieriness.

This Indonesian dish was totally love at first bite for me. Interestingly enough, this dish seems to be more popular in Singapore than in Indonesia. But anyway, in my opinion, this dish probably wont make it in Italy itself because, most Italians wont be able to take the degree of hotness from the sambal.

And for Ayam Penyet lovers, it is definitely the sambal which makes or breaks the dish.

2. Sushi

I love sushi! And while there will be some who baulk at eating raw fish, it actually tastes delicate but still flavourful. The important thing about sushi is the freshness of the seafood.

While I was working in Singapore, I’d frequently scoot to Giant Supermarket in IMM after work to get me a pack of Sushi to eat. It was cheaper and more satisfying to get sushi over the counter that way

Here in Rome, there are quite a number of Japanese restaurants, but practically all of them are pretty expensive. A very simple meal between Cart and I could easily cost us at least 50 euro. And even the pre-packed ones in supermarkets tend to be quite pricey and sometimes … quite unusual.

Frozen sushi? Anyone?

3. Mee Hong kong

Now that I think about it, I’m not sure if anyone in Hong Kong actually knew of this noodle dish or this was an interpretative dish that became popular. Nevertheless, this is the food that many Singaporeans like to eat and of course, I’d always have fond memories of it in a sheet of plastic in square white boxes as takeaways.

Picture from bunkerangs.blogspot.com

In any case, Mee Hong Kong comprises or a starchy type of broth, which usually has seafood and local vegetables and sometimes small bits of beef and served with egg noodles inside. My preference is kway teow which is a broad rice noodles instead of the egg noodles. So I’d always order it that way instead.

4. Prata

One really doesnt realise how much they take prata for granted once one doesn’t have ready access to it. I mean, its so accessible in Singapore. You could practically just walk in any direction and in less than 400 meters, there will be at least one hawker center serving Prata.

Prata, or the correct spelling Parotta, has been one of the choice for breakfasts or supper, or even a little nibble in between. I tried making my own prata, but you know, I think the best ones would need the use of a real griddle made by an Indian!

5. Satay

Its been a while since I’ve had authentic satay. Satay is kind of like shish kebab but much smaller. And it uses marinated meat of usually chicken or beef and served with peanut sauce, sliced onions and cucumbers and sometimes ketupat.

I still remember when I was young, staying at the old house before my parents moved. There used to be this pakcik on his bicycle full of stuff going around in the evenings, singing, “Satay! Satay!” Now that I mentioned this, I suddenly remember kids with baskets full of food, singing, “Epok-epok. Nasi lemak!”

And us kids will run after him, and he’d stop, set up the grill, the container with the peanut sauce and other condiments and start to fan the coals. And the smell of the cooking meat was so appetizing … slowly more and more people will come. These pakciks are a dying breed ?I think. Since my teenage years, I’ve yet to see any more of them.

Nevertheless, satay is easily attainable in Singapore at any random hawker center.

But above all else …

Hearty home cooked food

Yes, most importantly my mum’s cooking. I know that she’d probably feed me too much like last year. She really stuffed me with epok-epok, mee siam, nasi lemak, nasi ayam … the list goes on and on. And inevitably, I’d eat them all up and gain a lot of weight. But I’ll have no regrets because it is now only 3 weeks in a year that I get to experience this again. Better experience everything the best I can 🙂

Sidenote : I’m thinking of doing a makan session while in Singapore. If you’re interested do let me know in the comments below or in my facebook group!